This year, however, fall is defying convention. Gone are the days of subdued hues and subtle patterns, instead we’re seeing bolder trends like leopard prints and bright shades that linger from a lively summer. Fall fashion trends are undoubtedly far from the classics, but they keep the door open for the latter to feel welcomed. Fall may seem timid and laid-back, but it has its own special demands, especially when it comes to layering. The cool temperatures invite us to mix and match multiple pieces for warmth and style, which is where layering comes into play.

Embrace the unexpected this fall by experimenting with layering techniques, incorporating eye-catching prints, and daring color combinations. This season, let your wardrobe reflect both the comfort of autumn and the excitement of self-expression.

Fashion trends for Fall 2024 are mostly influenced by nostalgia and include tried-and-true hues and materials. But every season, fashionistas come up with new and creative ways to update these classic pieces. Fall is ready to shine, providing smooth transitions from warm to frigid weather without compromising flair, since summer has relinquished control with grace. The fun part is embracing style and comfort at the same time to stay stylish when the weather cools.

1. Preppy Footwear

Loafers, ballet flats, Mary Janes and riding boots—the tenets of a classic Northeastern preppy wardrobe—are all majorly trending for fall 2024. You can, of course, pair them with other academically influenced styles, like tailored blazers, button-up shirts, polo sweaters and A-line skirts, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had playing with contrasting silhouettes. Try mixing loafers in with cargo pants, Mary Jane pumps with a matching leather set or riding boots with a boho midi dress for more of an “opposites attract” vibe.

2. Boho Chic

A bohemian resurgence awakened when German-born designer Chemena Kamali unveiled her debut collection for Chloé as the brand’s newly appointed creative director. As celebrities like Daisy Edgar Jones and Sydney Sweeney continue to adopt the boho chic aesthetic, you can expect to see heaps of ruffles, oversize hobo bags, fringe finishes and tiered silhouettes in bulk this season.

In 2024, don’t be afraid to embrace the modern take on the ‘70s-inspired look wholeheartedly and wear a ruffle shirt with a fringe mini skirt and burgundy boots. Most importantly, don’t forget to accessorize, because less is not more where this boho aesthetic is concerned.

3. Wide-Brim Hats

When it comes to hat trends, founder and designer of Head of State Hat Co., Gwendolyn Rahn, told PureWow’s Fashion Editor Abby Hepworth that fall is all about building your capsule wardrobe. “In the same way that you’d curate a great collection of blazers or trousers or jeans, you do the same with your hat,” she says. “We want our customers to feel like they have the ability to change that out as they move through seasons.” Enter: a classic and structured wide brim.

It’s a modern take on a traditional style, boasting a sleek and structured brim as opposed to a floppy design. It tends to be universally flattering, though you may want to consider customizing the hat to best suit your face shape. Rahn mentions that people with angular faces, sharp jawlines or high cheekbones might prefer a flatter top crown style to round out those features, whereas a teardrop shape will complement those with round or oval face shapes. “It’s all about wanting to achieve balance with your physical features,” she explains.

4. Barrel Jeans

Forget balloon sleeves, this fall is all about the balloon leg—namely, barrel leg jeans. The exaggerated silhouette continues to grow in popularity amongst denim styles. As notable denim brands, such as Mother and Agolde, and major retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap unveil their own interpretations of the larger-than-life jeans, we suggest you set aside your wide-leg jeans and straight-leg cuts for a moment and revel in the amusing shape.

Commerce Editor Olivia Dubyak knows firsthand how becoming the dramatic silhouette can be on various bodies, including those with wide hips, thanks to the tapered hem and cinched waist. Plus, the volume at the sides can create the illusion of curves if you don’t have them. One tip: Make sure to find an inseam tailored to your height; you’ll want the hem to sit just at or slightly above your ankle bone.

5. Suede

If you’ve been following fall trend forecasts, you’ve likely seen that many fashion experts agree suede is set to be the must-have fabric for the colder months. Expect to see this soft leather in everything from jackets and handbags to shoes, in part because it’s a more luxurious and delicate—or very demure, very mindful, I should say—option to wear than an edgy moto leather.

There are countless ways to embrace this cozy trend, but designers and influencers are keeping it sleek by pairing the rich material with matching color schemes—think brown, tan, terracotta, chartreuse and navy—and incorporating various textures like fringe, animal prints and studded embellishments. Don’t hesitate to try suede-on-suede looks as well.

6. Bag Charms

Style muse Jane Birkin, who inspired Hermès’ late executive chairman Jean-Lous Dumas to create the iconic Birkin bag, was known for decorating her handbags with stickers and beads. While designers aren’t tacking stickers to leather hobos and top handles just yet, this Birkin-inspired approach is gaining traction in the fashion world.

After Miu Miu showcased bag charms and keychains on the runway, it became clear to me that our accessories need their own accessories in 2024. This trend is all about introducing color and personality, so feel free to embellish your bags with unique mementos and playful charms to make your style truly stand out.

7. Cuff Bracelets

It’s cuffing season, people…and, no, I’m not referring to relationships, I’m talking about accessories. Cuff bracelets are all about making a subtle statement, and you may be pleased to discover just how easy it is to wear.

For a polished and cool take that doesn’t scream early aughts, choose elevated pieces with a gold or silver finish and unique designs, like asymmetrical shapes, sculptural designs and hammered edges. One of my favorite ways to style a cuff bracelet is by wearing it higher up your arm rather than at your wrists. They also look great over long-sleeve blouses.

8. Belts

Another somewhat controversial throwback trend, belts are on the rise—or should I say on the low?—once more. Thicker, low-slung styles not only dominated fall street style, they were also spotted in fall collections for Blumarine, Versace and Max Mara, but I’ll be leaving that nostalgic styling choice to more adventurous fashionistas and instead sticking with thinner belts that are much easier to incorporate into your outfit.

You can still make a statement by choosing a bold belt buckle (be it western-inspired or a brand logo) or by opting for studs a la Khaite, embroidery or other intricate detailing rather than classic, simple leather.

9. Denim on Denim

During Paris Fashion Week this past spring, Hepworth observed Parisians sporting two-piece denim sets—an unexpected choice from French fashionistas. It was only a matter of time for the French fashion trend to cross the Atlantic. This fall, embrace the Canadian tuxedo by pairing your denim button-up shirts with straight-leg jeans. Unlike in the past, where the monochromatic look had to be perfectly matched, today’s styles mix different shades of denim and incorporate unique pieces like denim trench coats or denim boots.

10. Burgundy

You heard it here first: Burgundy is to 2024 what cherry red was to 2023. While the fashion world isn’t completely shifting away to different areas of the color wheel, it is embracing this deep, rich shade instead.

Black cherry and mulled wine played a big part in the Fall 2024 collections for Prada, Gucci and Bottega Veneta, and even Ferragamo’s Resort 2025 collection showcased head-to-toe looks in this plum shade. Much like last year’s vibrant red color trend, this season’s focus is on making a statement with large swaths of burgundy as opposed to overly bright hues.

Ready to Retire: Corsets

When season three of Bridgerton blessed our screens in May, so too did the cinched corset, but the tight, revealing style is finally being usurped this fall for boat neck cuts that are considerably more polished. So, prepare for Bridgerton-inspired fashion to go on a hiatus until next season drops, which may not be until late 2025. (Psst: That doesn’t mean you have to ditch your corset drop-waist dresses.) If you absolutely can’t part with a corset, try opting for sophisticated versions that are streamlined, elongated and include internal boning rather than a lace- or zip-up style.

What are Fast Fashion Trends?

Low-cost, fashionable apparel that swiftly transitions from design to retail outlets in order to keep up with and profit from trends is referred to as fast fashion. Collections frequently draw inspiration from fashions worn by celebrities or displayed at Fashion Week catwalk displays. Fast fashion makes it possible for regular people to afford a new style.

Cheaper, quicker production and delivery techniques, customer demand for trendy looks, and rising purchasing power—particularly among young people—all contributed to the rise of fast fashion. The established clothing brands’ custom of launching new collections and lines in a systematic, seasonal manner is challenged by fast fashion.

History

Shopping for clothing was once considered an event for which consumers would save over time to buy new clothes periodically. The style-conscious could get a preview of the styles to come by reading fashion magazines and seeing fashion shows that displayed new collections and clothing lines several months before their appearance in stores.

In the late 1990s, as shopping increasingly became a form of entertainment, discretionary spending on clothing increased. Fast fashion emerged, offering cheap, trendy knock-off garments, mass-produced at low cost. Consumers could wear something similar to what they saw on the runway.

Growth

Fast fashion was boosted by innovations in supply chain management (SCM) among fashion retailers. The assumption is that consumers want high fashion at a low cost. Fast fashion follows the concept of category management, linking the manufacturer with the consumer in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Major players in the fast fashion market include UNIQLO, GAP, Forever 21, Topshop, Esprit, Primark, Fashion Nova, and New Look. Two of the leaders are:

Zara: Spanish retail chain Zara, the flagship brand of textile giant Inditex, is synonymous with fast fashion. Due to its short supply chain, Zara’s designers can have a finished piece appear on store racks in as little as four weeks. Or can modify existing items in as little as two weeks.

Over half of its factories are located near its corporate headquarters in A Coruña, Spain. It produces more than 11,000 pieces annually versus an industry average of 2,000 to 4,000 pieces.

H&M: Founded in 1947, Sweden-based H&M Group (short for Hennes & Mauritz ) is one of the oldest fast fashion companies. As of 2024, H&M Group operated in 76 countries and had over 4,200 stores.

H&M Group functions like a department store, selling clothing, cosmetics, and home furnishings. It does not own any factories but relies on independent suppliers for its products. H&M production offices oversee suppliers with state-of-the-art IT systems that track inventory and communicate with corporate HQ. The factories that it works with are based all over Europe, Asia, and North America.

Consumers may find it difficult to avoid products manufactured by companies that practice fast fashion. However, they can investigate fast fashion brands to see if they use sustainable processes and support fair labor practices. They can determine for themselves the impact that fast fashion may have on the environment and people who work in the industry.

Shopping for clothes at secondhand stores helps to reduce the amount of garment waste and to extend usage.

According to statistics from the United Nations Environment Programme and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation:

• The fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water per year.
• It takes 3,781 liters of water to make one pair of jeans.
• Of all the wastewater in the world, 20% is from textile dyeing and is highly toxic—many countries where clothes are made have reduced or zero regulations for wastewater disposal.
• Microplastic fibers used in clothing make their way to the ocean, amounting to about 500,000 tons—close to 50 billion plastic bottles.
• Fashion manufacturing emits more than 10% of global carbon emissions.

Profits and consumer spending both rise with fast fashion. It fulfills the consumer’s desire to follow a fashion trend. Critics counter that the sector adds to waste, pesticide contamination, and climate change. As long as customers want to purchase the newest trends at affordable costs with quick turnaround times, the discussion surrounding fast fashion and its substitutes will go on.